After a very long blog sabbatical, I'm feeling a blog call-to-action. I've been extraordinarily busy here at home. As I've mentioned, our property is landscape intensive and requires attention beginning about mid-February.

The cold, blustery weather seemed endless yet the grass and weeds pay it no mind. So what I consider to be the ugly months were spent in great part outside, hard at work, constricted by warm sweaters and even parkas. Landscape intruders show no mercy. If I were to write a book about gardening in the Pacific Northwest, I might entitle it Man Vs. Shotweed, or something similar.

More recently, June Gloom has grudgingly given way and we've been blessed with shimmering blue water and sun-filled sky. Down vests and puff coats are now stowed well out of sight and out of mind. The mode 'o day is once again cropped jeans, lightweight layers, and an appropriate sun hat.

OK, so if you know me at all you know my favorite color is "neutral". I work at color, I sincerely do. But I always seem to regress. I love all shades of beige, brown and white, and it's a struggle for me to be adventurous.

This spring however I broke the mold; really I did. I think 9 months of ever-present, oppressive damp and gray weather did a number on my psyche. There was a time when I thought the seasonal affective disorder conversation was merely psycho-babble~ not so anymore. The struggle is real.

Anyway, I threw myself at the task of creating more interest (via more color) in the living room. I made a sizable collection of new accent pillows.

In so doing, I learned new ways to make pillow covers. I tried a one piece style, which required very little cutting and sewing. And a more typical envelope style. I will do anything to avoid hand-stitching pillow closures.

Fabric shopping consumed a bit of time. At first I bought fabric at a local JoAnn's. I love shopping there. There's a coupon for everything and they have such a relaxed return policy, thankfully. My first choices did not turn out to be my best.

My online choice is Best Fabric Store. I am not paid to give endorsements so you can trust me when I say this company is amazing. Fast shipping, great customer service and perfect pricing, so what's not to like? I ordered a variety of samples and then with a leap of faith, ordered cut yardage. I am really happy with the two choices I made. The quality is really top notch.

So here you go, snaps of my new subtle beach-side look. I hope you enjoy the browse.

You might be thinking that my beach tones are understated. Yes, that's by design. I wanted to bring blue into the living room without getting all gimmicky or cutesy.

I am a lucky woman. Blue hydrangeas provide a profusion of color both outside and in the living room. And in case you haven't guessed, this is my morning coffee spot, now awash with color.

I can't say goodbye without leaving you with a link to a great tutorial on the one piece envelope pillow. Check it out here at The Happy Housie.

As an aside, the small burlap pillows are from a different source. I will share that in a separate post because there's a cute story attached. Speaking of cute, we have a very close guy friend who is an ardent Remnant fan. He reads almost all of my posts, obviously giving some closer attention than others. He told me that although he prefers my travel writing and photos, he will (nonetheless) suffer through the table setting posts. Now that's a true follower.

I'm sure he has absolutely no interest in my pillows, although it is he actually encouraging me to use more color in my house. So I dedicate this post to our dear friend Steve.

I'm sure my long absences have cost me most of my readership. So to you that are still here, I'm sending a huge thanks.

Our trip is coming to a rapid halt, so this is my final U.K. post. We attempt to fly home tomorrow. I use the word attempt because we fly standby. If it weren't for the blessing of lifelong flight benefits we would not have had the many incredible journeys we've enjoyed together. The price we pay is the non-confirmed flight status and the attendant uncertainty; so well worth it.

Cambridge was quite a lovely surprise and a perfect place for an English travel finale. For some reason I was expecting to fall in love with Oxford but not Cambridge. I think that is in part the result of watching so much British drama set in and about Oxfordshire. However, I'm quite smitten with Cambridge and this strong affinity caught me off guard.

As in any very old city center, Cambridge street scenes are deeply emphatic. Simple structural elements such as doors and windows exude character and beckon newcomers to stop and take notice.

Bicycles and bridges abound in Cambridge. I have never, ever seen such a population of bikes. Bicycles here were for me the same as telephone booths in London~ I couldn't stop photographing them.

The River Carn runs along Jesus Green, and we were staying just a few short blocks away. So both mornings we walked a paved path which is laid out between the green and the riverbank, to a delightful little cafe for coffee and a scone.

These colorful boats are called punts. Young men work aggressively at marketing the Cambridge punt experience. It was much too cold for us, but many visitors took advantage of the opportunity.

There are also many narrow-boats on the river. Some are full time live-aboard and some are for charter.

Best scone in England.

Amazing coffee here at Bould Borthers. These two young men opened just six days ago. It was such a wonderful place to spend some time.

A few more Cambridge images~

I need to pack now and I really dislike packing to go home. It unnerves me more than flying standby. I always say I won't buy anything that takes up space, but obviously I lie. My bags are about to burst.

When I get home I hope to write some thoughts about all things right about this trip and all of my mistakes. And I am going to post my "best of" photos as a recap. Thank you again for being interested enough to follow our journey!

Our trip is coming to a rapid halt, so this is my final U.K. post. We attempt to fly home tomorrow. I use the word attempt because we fly standby. If it weren't for the blessing of lifelong flight benefits we would not have had the many incredible journeys we've enjoyed together. The price we pay is the non-confirmed flight status and the attendant uncertainty; so well worth it.

Cambridge was quite a lovely surprise and a perfect place for an English travel finale. For some reason I was expecting to fall in love with Oxford but not Cambridge. I think that is in part the result of watching so much British drama set in and about Oxfordshire. However, I'm quite smitten with Cambridge and this strong affinity caught me off guard.

As in any very old city center, Cambridge street scenes are deeply emphatic. Simple structural elements such as doors and windows exude character and beckon newcomers to stop and take notice.

Bicycles and bridges abound in Cambridge. I have never, ever seen such a population of bikes. Bicycles here were for me the same as telephone booths in London~ I couldn't stop photographing them. Truth be told, it was t times as if the bicycles were photobombing me. That's how

The River Carn runs along Jesus Green, and we were staying just a few short blocks away. So both mornings we walked a paved path which is laid out between the green and the riverbank, to a delightful little cafe for coffee and a scone.

These colorful boats are called punts. Young men work aggressively at marketing the Cambridge punt experience. It was much too cold for us, but many visitors took advantage of the opportunity.

There are also many narrow-boats on the river. Some are full time live-aboard and some are for charter.

Best scone in England.

Amazing coffee here at Bould Borthers. These two young men opened just six days ago. It was such a wonderful place to spend some time.

A few more Cambridge views~

I need to pack now and I really dislike packing to go home. It unnerves me more than flying standby. I always say I won't buy anything that takes up space, but obviously I lie. My bags are about to burst.

When I get home I hope to write some thoughts about all things right about this trip and all of my mistakes. And I am going to post my "best of" photos as a recap. Thank you again for being interested enough to follow our journey!

In an effort to get my photojournal up to date, I have lots of pictures to share today that hopefully present an interesting view of the Isle of Wight.

One of the many marinas on the island. Of course the towns are much, much older, but in a general sense there is a similarity between the Isle of Wight and the San Juan Islands in Washington. We felt very at home with the climate as well.

On New Years Day we deposited John at London's Heathrow Airport. I hate goodbyes and I always have to have a plan in place to ward off the blues. I had booked three nights at a holiday chalet on the Isle of Wight because I have been dreaming of a visit there since Larry and I got married. From Heathrow we drove to Southampton and boarded a ferry for the island. We didn't take time to explore anything along the route because we were on a mission to get to our lodging before dark.

Cars on our ferry, just like at home!

The interiors are lovely and the catering is first rate.

Scarf in progress. I knit to forget my sadness.

Here is our tiny little holiday chalet I booked on Airbnb. It is a beach-themed cottage that was well outfitted and cozy as can be. We eat most of our meals in, and the kitchen was amply supplied with pots, pans, and dishes. The neighborhood was by no means a draw, but the chalet was perfect and very economical.

I really had fun playing house.

We drove around the island over the two full days we were there. Let me just share my gallery~

We were staying in the tiny municipality called. Gurnard. This is the entrance to what I assume is the original farm. I can only show you some interesting architectural details because the driveway in front of the house was filled with cars, which compromised the loveliness.

Here's a veiled view~

The old stone barn.

Love this finial!

Other views of the island, beginning with the shore~

Classic beach huts.

Summer gone by.

Countryside drive~

Quintessential English countryside. It reminds me of the series, Midsomer Murders.

The town closest to Gurnard is Cowes~

So let me explain a downside to not just this Island excursion, but to the way we have done the entire journey. The driving is treacherous, even if the driver is accustomed to the left side of the road. The streets are narrow and winding. Everyone drives fast. There is very little parking and most of it costs... a lot. So traveling by car was extremely stressful. But without it we could not have fully immersed ourselves in England's profound wonder. We could not have traversed the countryside, nor enjoyed the freedom to go wherever, whenever. But now that our wanderings are nearing an end, I have concluded that next trip will be something different. Maybe a narrow boat canal cruise in Oxford because that sounds amazing. Or perhaps a one or two week stay in a small village with the opportunity to unpack and experience life as a local. I'm not sure what we'll ultimately decide but it won't involve a car rental. Larry was a fantastic driver but I'm a terrible navigator and the driving wore us out. And one last negative comment, we were never at liberty to just stop and snap photos. I feel like there are so many pictures in my mind that are not in my camera.

We are now in Cambridge. Today we visited the University area and tomorrow we are going traveling a short distance to Grantchester for cream tea. We returned the car a day early and rode a bus to Cambridge. Finally a chance to exhale. More pictures soon.

About Us

We are a well-seasoned, adventurous couple walking hand-in-hand along life's path. Together we pursue an art form ~ resourceful creativity. Our small island homestead in Northwest Washington State is an expression of this pursuit. I have ideas and Larry makes them happen.

I am a free-spirited photographer and lifestyle blogger who sees art in ordinary things. Larry is a degreed mechanical engineer, whose commitment to military service led to a lengthy career as an airline pilot. Yes, opposites attract! And as our blog hopefully reflects, we have managed to make a fine mesh of things for more than 35 years.

Larry and I have created a collection of handmade home accents made primarily from natural, up-cycled, and thrifted remnants. These pieces will occasionally be featured here and available for purchase in our Etsy shop.

Welcome!

So too, at the present time, there is a remnant chosen by grace.Romans 11:5